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Scouts Visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

The twelfth point of the Scout Law says that “A Scout is Reverent”. Pack 650 in Gwinnett County was learning about this point recently for their Duty to God Award. In the process the Scouts found out something new about a building they drive past in their neighborhood on the way to Pack Meetings.

The Shri Swaminaryan Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Lilburn, Georgia. Inaugurated in 2007, the Mandir was constructed over the course of 17 months from pieces of stone hand-carved in India. A few of the families in Pack 650, as practicing Hindus, attend the Mandir. And so, a group of Scouts from the Pack took a tour of the temple and its grounds to learn more about the Hindu faith.

“Upon arrival,” Cubmaster Mark Davis says, “we spent some time discussing what we were about to see, looked around the outside, and spent time at the reflection pool.”

The scouts were in awe when they arrived at the alters inside the Mandir. They were very respectful during ceremonies, and asked a lot of questions about each of the alters they visited. Everyone removed their shoes as required, and all understood why. They inspected the carvings, pointed out the hidden peacocks, and took it all in. Afterwards, we discussed what we saw….and left with a greater understanding of another religion.

The Scouts participated in one of the free tours Shri Swaminaryan Mandir offers daily and learned a lot about the Hindu faith. “They got a real sense of the dedication those who created the Mandir had in terms of the time and effort to create such a wonder,” says Mark.